


I Hope You Have a Speech Prepared

by debwalsh



Series: Deb’s Fictober Surprise! [19]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Awkwardness, Established Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 10:31:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16406750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debwalsh/pseuds/debwalsh
Summary: In which plans go awry, but the end is still the same, just with more Steve and Bucky.





	I Hope You Have a Speech Prepared

**Author's Note:**

> I had a plan. I often have a plan. And then Steve and Bucky look at the plan, scoff at me, and do their thing anyway.

“Hi, um, reservation for Rogers?”

The pretty brunette working the host station glanced up from the table chart with a bored expression until she caught a look at Steve. Then she was all smiles, looking him up and down like a prime side of beef. Her expression immediately morphed to flirtatious, and her posture shifted to not-so-subtly display her cleavage to greater advantage.

Steve didn’t notice. Not only did he not swing that way, he was so nervous, the poor woman could burst into flames right in front of him, and he wouldn’t have a clue.

So he just stood there grinning expectantly, a wild look in his eyes.

She grabbed two menus and encouraged him to follow her, a definite swing to her hips as she lead him into the gold-hued lighting of the dining room. The restaurant was famous for its private alcoves, each formed with the artful use of screens and half walls, creating a kind of maze that was navigated by lights running in the floor.

It was supposed to be romantic.

Again, nervous. Again, burst into flames. Again, not a clue.

Steve was babbling anxiously as he followed the young woman, going on about how he’d chosen the place based on Yelp reviews and advice from friends, social media posts, and responses to his open queries on Insta and Twitter. “It has to be perfect, y’know? I mean you only get one chance to do it right. It sets the tone fo the rest of your life, don’t you think? I mean, if it’s done badly, you’re always left wondering, aren’t you? I mean, I guess I would. But this is perfect. It’s a perfect place to ask the man i love to marry me -“

They rounded another branch of the maze, and found themselves directly in front of the table where Bucky sat, grinning madly as the hostess announced, “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention your party was already seated. Enjoy!” She tossed the menus onto the table, and exited stage left.

“Well, with that entrance, I hope you have a speech prepared.”

“Maybe I wasn’t talking about you,” Steve demurred as he dropped into his seat, feeling deflated and defeated. He fingered the box in his pocket with a sense of missed opportunities.

“Maybe you’re talking out your ass again,” Bucky countered with that sexy, sexy smirk of his, and reached over to open the menu for Steve.

Steve had his shoulders hunched high and his head hung low as he shook it in disbelief. “I had this whole big thing planned, and now it’s kinda ruined. She coulda said something you know, before I got here and made a fool of myself.”

“Steve, I’ve seen you make a fool of yourself on a regular basis - how could I not? And. This is not making a fool of yourself. This is ... well, kind of underwhelming. You came around that corner loaded for bear, and now you’re reading the menu?”

“It is a restaurant.”

“And I’m waiting.”

“You don’t think it’ll be anti-climactic now?”

“I think you’re being an asshole now.”

This, this was familiar. Steve felt his nerves recede as he fell into the rhythm that was life with Bucky. “Well, it takes one to know one, doesn’t it?”

“What crawled up your ass?”

Steve felt a giggle threaten to bubble out of him. “Well, that’s a loaded question.”

Buck grinned, clearly enjoying the game. It made Steve feel better, feel less like he’d missed the mark. “How did I get to be the bad guy?”

Teasing, razzing, being jerks to each other ... all had been a hallmark of their relationship since they met back in grade school. But always with a tenderness, a commitment to each other underneath. “When you started teasing me over my proposal skills.”

Bucky did giggle at that. “I don’t see any proposing going on, so I’m assuming you don’t have any skills.”

And this was the moment. Not the fancy rehearsed speech he’d planned, but the natural extension of who they were. Give and take. Push and pull. Scrappy and abrasive and annoying and so fucking in love. “Well, fine, then,” Steve mock-snapped, digging into his pocket as the air just left his lungs. “Here. Have an engagement ring,” he said, slamming the ring box down on the table, then flicked it with his finger to slide it over to Bucky. Time stopped and there was no air left to breathe.

Bucky reached for the box, a beautifully silver gilt Art Deco design, with trembling fingers. Steve set his menu down, and watched avidly as Bucky opened the hinged box, and shoved his fist into his mouth to muffle a sob.

The moment resolved, and Steve could feel the universe begin again. Air and light, and all things beautiful, filled him as he watched tears spill over Bucky’s cheeks.

“It’s exactly the way I designed it. Thor did an amazing job bringing it to life.” He reached over and gently took the box out of Bucky’s shaking hand. He pulled the ring out and rolled it between his fingers. “I can feel the magic in it, Buck. The magic that happens when we’re together. May I?” he asked in a hushed voice, extending his hand to take Bucky’s. Bucky nodded and held out his hand so Steve could slip the ring on. 

“Will you?” he asked softly, because to speak any louder would shatter the world with the force of his love.

Bucky turned to look at him, gray-blue eyes already red-rimmed from the tears that poured down his face. Tears caught on his lashes and glittered like diamond dust. His eyebrow arched expectantly, and Steve smiled.

“Will you marry me?” Steve amended, and the crinkles he loved so much formed around Bucky’s eyes, the smile lit up his face, and Steve blessed all the moments and people and events that had conspired along the way to bring them here, to this moment.

“Yes,” Bucky breathed. “Yes, you fucking punk. I’ll marry you. C’mere,” he insisted, reaching for Steve, and then they were kissing.

“Yeah, I’ll come back,” Steve heard a voice say, but nerves had given sway to joy. And if the restaurant had burst into flames in that moment, Steve could’ve cared less, because the man he loved said yes. 

END

**Author's Note:**

> Catching up! Only 11 more installments of Fictober. Are you subscribed? :)


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